Optical toy.



W. H. S. lIEARGE.

OPTICAL TOY. 'APPLIoATIoN FILED SEPT. so, 1910.

991,534. Patented May 9, `1911.

WILLIAM I-I. S. IPEARCE, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

OPTICAL TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911.

Application led September 30, 1910. Serial No. 584,640.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IWILLIAM H. S. PEARCE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Newton, county of Middlesex, State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Opt-ical Toys, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing,is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing likeparts.

This invention has for its object the production of an amusing andinstructive toy so constructed and arranged as to produce effectively aninteresting optical illusion whereby an object, or representationthereof, appears in its entirety to be floating in space.

My invention depends or is based upon certain phenomena of binocularvision, whereby when a given object is divided into separated parts andheld at a suitable distance from the eyes the separated parts of theobject will appear to have been transposed and united, the entire orcompleted object seemingly floating without any support.

In the practical embodiment of my invention l provide an open supportingframe, made conveniently of some opaque, flat and properly stifl:lmaterial, such for instance as heavy card board, and within the openingan object is located, preferably in outline and divided transversely,the parts lying in the plane of the frame and being supported oppositeeach other by the sides of the frame and extended inward therefromtoward each other.

A sight opening is left between the contiguous inner edges of theseparated parts of the object.

Vhen the device is held at a short distance in front of the eyes and adistant point is viewed' through the sight opening the separated partsof the object appear to be transposed in position and joined together topresent the object in its entirety and floating in space.

Any desired object may be indicated, but for the best results such anobj ect should be chosen as has a bold outline and which can be shown upclearly and unmistakably whenA sheetv metal, or other suitable material,and will prove amusing as well as instructive in its use.

The novel features of my invention will be fully described in thesubjoined specilication and particularly pointed out in the followingclaims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an op tical toy embodying my presentinvention; Fig. 2 is a detail in plan showing the appearance of thecompleted object as ioating in space when a distant point is viewedthrough the sight opening; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing in general thelines of vision whereby the illusion is produced when the toy is used.

Referring to Fig. l a frame 1, made of card board, thin sheet metal, orother suitable flat material, and preferably rectangular in shape,presents an opening L), in which the object is located. In the presentinstance I have illustrated in outline an airship, and such object istransversely divided into the parts A, B, said parts being opposite eachother and extended inward from the sides of the frame l. Said parts ofthe object are formed integral with the frame and lie in the planethereof, the inner edges of the parts A and B approaching f each otherbut leaving a clearance space or sight opening 8 betwen them. Inpractice the outer ends of the parts A and B are somewhat elongated, forthe better effect of the illusion, and referring to Fig. l it will beseen that said parts are reversed in position. That is, the part A, atthe left of the frame, is actually the right hand part of the object,and similarly the part B at the right of the frame is the left hand partof the object.

To use the device the frame is held upright with its bottom edgehorizontal at a distance of from 6 to 18 inches or more from the eyes ofthe observer, and said observer looks with both eyes at some distantpoint, such as the sky, a cloud, etc. "When so viewed the completeobject A, B, in its' entirety, will be seen, and it appears to befloating in space, without any support whatever, the parts A and B beingapparently transposed and joined properly together. In Fig. 2 I haveendeavored to illustrate this illusion, the actual parts A and B of theobject being at the left and right, while the image, or apparent objectappears in its entirety, but with the position of the parts reversed, asat B', A.

The diagram, Fig. 3, indicates at E, E the eyes of the observer, and Vis supposed to be the distant point viewed by the observer through thesight opening 3, Fig. l. The parts within the dotted rectangle e, f, g,7b are seen by the left eye E, and the parts within the rectangle a, L,c, d are seen by the right eye E, while the overlapping parts in therectangle e, Z), c, 7L' are seen by both eyes and constitute the image,apparently the complete object B, A in its entirety. Vhen both eyes lookat the distant point V the rectangle e, f, g, 7L is covered by thevision of the left eye, the rectangle a., Z9, c, Z by the vision of theright eye, while'the middle rectangle e, b, c, 7L is covered by thevision of both eyes, producing the described illusion.

The diagramin Fig. 3 is necessarily distorted, as it is impossiblewithin the limits of thepermissible space of the drawing to indicateaccurately the distance of the point V.

Any `desired object may be employed, provided it is of such a characteras will permit of its production in bold outlines, and the frame opening2 is not necessarily rectangular, but in practice I have found such anarrangement to produce highly satisfactory results.

Various changes or modifications in details may be made by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my inventionas set forth in the claims annexed hereto.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture, an optical toy comprising an openframe, and an object separated transversely into two portions sustainedrespectively by the left and right hand sides of the frame and inwardlyextended therefrom toward each other to leave a sight opening betweentheir contiguous inner edges, whereby the complete object as an entiretyappears to iioat in space within the frame when a distant point isviewed through the sight opening.

2. AS an article of manufacture, an optical toy comprising a flat, openframe, and an object separated into riOht and lefthand portionssustained respectively by the left and right hand sides of the frame inthe plane thereof and extended inward toward each other to leave a sightopening between their contiguous edges, whereby the complete object asan entirety appears to {ioat within the frame and unsupported when adistant point is viewed through the sight opening.

3. As an article of manufacture, an optical toy comprising, a flat framehaving ay rectangular opening, and a fiat object separated into rightand left hand portions sustained respectively by the left and right handsides of the frame opposite each other and extended into theframe-opening opposite each other to leave a central sight openingbetween their contiguous edges, whereby when a distant point is viewedthrough such opening the portions of the object appear transposed andjoined as an entirety and float unsupported within the opening of theframe.

t. As an article of manufacture, an optical toy comprising a fiat framehaving a rectangular opening and supporting at its opposite uprightedges the two parts in outline of a transversely divided object, thesaid parts lying in the plane of the frame opposite and extended towardeach other in the opening thereof, to leave a sight opening betweentheir contiguous inner edges, whereby when a distant point is viewedthrough the sight opening t-he two parts of the object appear to betransposed and joined together and present the object in 'its entiretyas floating in space.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAM H. S. PEARCE.

VVitnesseS:

JOHN C. EDWARDS. THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

